Sisters swap historical residence for new health center

Sister Jonathan Herda shows off some of the plants in the new plant room during an open house June 22 at the Ramsey-Kaproth Wellness Center at St. Scholastic Convent.(Photo:
Kimm Anderson, kanderson@stcloudtimes.com
)Buy Photo

It wasn't easy for the nuns at St. Scholastica Convent in St. Cloud to say goodbye to the building they called home for more than three decades.

But from the rubble of the four-story building built in 1890 stands a new single-story building and the Ramsey-Kaproth Wellness Center.

Assisted Living Director Deb Bakken said, "We did ask our donors to help us fund the project ... and we weren't sure how they would respond ... but they paid for the entire project."

About 2,000 people donated the $2.8 million to construct the new energy-efficient, cost-effective facility, which hosted an open house last week, according to Bakken.

The Wellness Center features two recumbent bikes, a treadmill with long bars for safety, parallel bars, mirror and ballet barre, a pneumatic strength-training machine, exercise mats and massage rooms.

"All of the equipment we purchased was really purchased with specific needs for older people in mind," Bakken said of the 83 nuns residing at St. Scholastica Convent in St. Cloud.

Center is equipped with features to keep residents active and healthy.
St. Cloud Times

The new building houses a plant room, a liturgy office, a salon and community space in addition to the Wellness Center, while incorporating stained glass from the old building.

The Wellness Center also includes a craft room for the nuns to make cards, knit and quilt, and a plant workroom and patio for nuns to arrange, re-pot and nurture plants "for enjoyment and beauty."

"The sisters see wellness as more than just physical exercise," Bakken said of the Wellness Center, which includes a library and a music room for piano, instrument and vocal practice.

"We have sisters who do therapeutic exercise, and we have several pieces of exercise equipment that is new that we are grateful that our donors helped us fund."

The monastic community voted unanimously two years ago to demolish the 1890 building and replace it with a one-story service building in the old facility footprint.

The old building had about 28,000 square feet and was torn down last year; the new building with the Wellness Center has about 13,750 square feet and was blessed in January.

"It's almost like a PT department where they can recover from surgery if they've had surgery," said Sister Michaela Hedican, prioress of the Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict of St. Joseph.

"A lot of hip and knee surgery takes place with seniors in our culture today ... and we have a wonderful staff ... to help the sisters do the exercises ... and it keeps them stronger and keeps them independent as long as they possibly can."

Buy Photo

Harper Jose, 7, who volunteers with her mom at St. Scholastic Convent, tries out the new Ramsey-Kaproth Wellness Center on June 22 during an open house.(Photo: Kimm Anderson, kanderson@stcloudtimes.com)

The Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict are a community of women committed to "enhancing the spiritual lives of others." The nuns serve in parishes, social justice organizations, and educational and health care institutions.

"The Wellness Center is just for nuns at present; St. Scholastica is a licensed assisted living facility and therefore the (Wellness) Center can only be used by those residents there," Sister Karen Rose said.

"At present, the number of our sisters requiring assisted living places keeps it filled. However, at some point in the future, we envisage accepting laypeople as residents."

Wellness Center

The Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict received a large bequest from the James and Anne (Kaproth) Ramsey Charitable Trust for the St. Scholastica Convent's Wellness Center, which was named after the husband and wife.